Superwomen of Eva: Storm Bringer
by orionpax09
Summary: Maria Vincennes is an Evangelion pilot stationed at NERV's Second Branch, far away from the conflict in Japan. Wanting nothing more than to see battle, she will soon be hurled into an incredible conflict by forces beyond her control...
1. Thunderstruck

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Marvel Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 1: Thunderstruck

"All systems are go for the activation test," came a voice over the intercom system, followed the appearance of a holographic window within the Entry Plug. "Pilot Vincennes, do you copy?"

"I read you loud and clear, Captain Sanchez," replied the girl within the Entry Plug as she looked at the holographic face before her, the face of a well-worn military man.

"Glad to hear it," Captain Sanchez replied evenly as he studied the pilot who was currently at the heart of one of humanity's ultimate weapons."Everything's set on our end for the activation test. "What about you, Prodigy?"

Maria Vincennes allowed herself a tiny smile at the use of the nickname, most particularly at how well-deserved it was. "All systems check out on my end," she soon replied, quickly glancing over her controls one more time, just to be certain. "And as for me, well…I'm as ready as I'll ever be, sir."

Nodding, Captain Sanchez turned to someone offscreen. "Alright. Commence activation," he ordered. At this, someone offscreen began, with other voices soon following. The various technicians that Maria knew to be present working to make the Captain's orders a reality. "Brace yourself, Prodigy. Unit 04 might be a Production Model, but the first activation can be pretty nasty. Especially if we managed to mess up getting all the bugs out of the system."

Maria was perfectly aware of this. She had read the reports from NERV Central regarding the disastrous activation tests involving the Prototype, Evangelion Unit 00, as well as the resulting mutilation of its pilot, Rei Ayanami. But the white-armored Unit 04 was a Production Model, vastly superior to the outdated Prototype and Test Type Evangelions. It didn't suffer from the same limitations as they did. _And even if they did…I've trained too long and too hard to be a pilot to back down now…_

Listening as the technicians went about their work, Maria narrowed her eyes in concentration, focusing on the biomechanical titan she was at the helm of. Waiting for the moment when the A-10 nerve clips would be activated, linking her mind to the body of a being of pure power. A weapon unlike anything ever dreamt of in the past, conceived for a war that was beyond anything ever fought before.

_This is going to be amazing…!_ Maria couldn't help but think as the people running the activation experiment moved up to the third stage activation. Already imaging what it would be like to be linked to the Evangelion in that way. To actually feel as if you were dozens of stories tall, a colossus capable of wiping out an entire city on a whim. To have all that power at your command. _I've spent _years _dreaming of it, working for this, and now…!_

"Approaching critical stage!" came another voice over the intercom. "2.4…1.5….09….05….02…!"

An instant later, Maria felt it happen. It wasn't much; a pricking in her mind, as if she had developed a brand new sense that she had never had before. An awareness of something outside of herself.

An awareness that quickly became larger. And stronger.

"Sir! She's cleared the borderline!" came another voice from offscreen. "Unit 04 has been activated!"

Smiling at this, Captain Sanchez returned his focus to the teen girl. "You hear that, Maria? A successful synchronization."

_I already know that!_ Maria thought eagerly as she felt her awareness of the biomechanical titan's mighty form grow. More and more, she felt as if Unit 04 was a part of her, and she, a part of it. She could almost feel the white armored plating it wore, feel as if it were her standing in the testing area of NERV's Second Branch, held in place by as series of restraints that felt like nothing to her. _I bet I could pop free of these things like they were toilet paper!_

But Maria said none of this. She was smarter than that. All she said in response was a subdued, "Looks like it, sir."

"Everything looks good so far," Captain Sanchez reported, studying the readouts. "Looks like an initial synch of…25.8!"

_What?! That's all?!_ was Maria's annoyed response. For as much as she knew that it took time and training to build a synch value with an Evangelion, she had already been training. She had worked for almost a decade for this moment, and she had expected better.

When Maria failed to issue a verbal response, Captain Sanchez mustered a sympathetic smile. "Hey, don't look so down!" he told her in what was intended to be a soothing voice. "We've all heard about the famous 3rd Child and how he got over 40% in his very first battle, but c'mon! 25.8 on your first try is a good score!"

_Not good enough,_ Maria thought. What she actually said was, "Sorry, Captain. It's just…I was hoping I could do a bit better. That's all."

Captain Sanchez's expression became even more sympathetic. "Hey, you'll get better soon enough. I'd bet a month's salary on it," he assured her, smiling his confidence. "Now, what say we put Unit 04 through its first paces?"

_I thought you'd never ask!_ Maria thought. What she actually said was, "Yes, sir."

* * *

A short while later, far too short for Maria's taste, the blonde Child was changing into her civilian garb after having shed her plug suit and washing the last of the LCL from her form. _If there's one thing I don't like about being a designated Child, it has to be LCL,_ the child prodigy thought as she combed out her long, silky blonde hair. _I know they say that the stuff improves synch ability and cushions impact, but can't they make the stuff smell like something _other _than blood?!_

Giving a slight shake of her head, Maria took an experimental sniff of her hair, just to make sure that she rid herself of the last of the blood stench. Once that was done, she began dressing in her usual outfit. A short skirt and halter top that was suitably revealing of her fine figure, a long overcoat that was tasteful and attractive for a girl her age, a headband, and she finished it off with a collar-like necklace with a crucifix pendant at the front. Once this was down, she went to a full-length mirror and studied her reflection, making certain that she looked her best before exiting the women's changing room.

As soon as she entered one of the many hallways of NERV's Second Branch, the blonde Child noticed a familiar figure standing just to the side of the door, a cheerful expression on her face as she said, "Well, hey there, Maria!"

"Hi, Rebecca," Maria replied politely to her guardian.

"So, I hear congratulations are in order," Rebecca replied, a happy smile on her face. "A synch ratio of 25.8 on your first try. And during Unit 04's very first activation, to boot!"

Caught between pleasure at this reminder of her accomplishment and annoyance that it had fallen short of her expectations, Maria just nodded and replied, "Thanks. I...I did okay, I guess."

At this self-depreciating comment, Rebecca Carlson's smile faltered somewhat before she reinforced it. "Hey, c'mon! You did great today!" she assured her ward. "I mean, think about! This was Unit 04's first activation! That thing probably has several tons of bugs to work out before you can really synch with it!"

It certainly was a valid point, Maria was forced to admit, even if all was simply an effort to make her feel better about her somewhat disappointing performance. After a few moments considering this, she shrugged mildly and admitted, "I suppose so…"

"Suppose? Hey, don't be so down on yourself!" Rebecca told her in no uncertain terms. "You're off to a good start! And you're just going to get better! Just watch!"

_You _know _I'm going to do better!_ Maria thought. What she actually said in response was, "I know…I just feel like I should have done better _this_ time."

Rebecca pressed her lips together and studied her ward for a moment, shifting her attractive figure about for a bit before declaring, "Don't worry about, Maria. Like I said; you did fine _this _time. And you're just going to keep getting better." A knowing look curling about her face, she bent down to look her ward square in the eyes. "As a matter of fact, you should know that Captain Sanchez is already scheduling your first combat simulation!"

This certainly got the pilot's attention. "Really?! Already?!" Maria cried out, too excited to maintain the nominally polite air she normally upheld. "When?! When is it?!"

"I don't know yet. But he _did _say that he would let me know when he was ready," Rebecca assured her. "Which gives us plenty of time to relax, celebrate your big success today." Then she cocked her head to the side. "So what do you say, Maria? Does dinner at Santorini's sound like a good reward for your hard work today?"

"Santorini's?!" Maria got out, unable to keep the smile from her face as she thought about dinner at her favorite Italian restaurant, with the possibility of a desert of their famous cheesecake. "I…wow…thanks, I…!"

Chuckling lowly, Rebecca stood tall and smiled at her charge. "No need to thank me. You're the one who did all the hard work, remember," she assured Maria. "Besides, I'm getting something out of this as well. Remember, you're not the only one who loves Santorini's!"

Maria knew this perfectly well. After all, it had been her guardian Rebecca that had introduced her to the scrumptiously delectable array of dishes that were available at Santorini's in the first place. It was a tad on the pricy side, so they tended to only go there on special occasions, such as when Maria either wowed her supervisors at her progress, or needed some cheering up. _Or in this case, both,_ she decided. _Still…if it's Santorini's…_

"So…when do we go?" Maria finally asked, her stomach issuing tiny hungry rumblings.

"No time like the present," Rebecca told her, giving Maria a gentle pat on her back to prompt her to start forward. Not needing much prompting beyond the prospect of a yummy Santorini's cheesecake as the two of them started towards the NERV parking garage.

* * *

As the woman sat at a table within Santorini's, unnoticed by any of the patrons or the staff, she was aware of the many scents and sensations that filled the restaurant. The food and service were certainly better than many other such businesses that she had been to before, but it was neither the food nor the service that had drawn her to this place.

It was the unlikely pair that she now watched in silence. One was a dark-skinned woman in her prime, who was only of marginal importance in her mission. It was the other, the younger blonde who was exchanging pleasantries with her companion, that was the real reason the woman was here.

Despite the fact that the woman thought this was an incredibly bad idea.

_I still cannot bring myself to believe that I have been reduced to this,_ the woman thought vehemently as she watched the two of them relax, enjoying food, drink, and each other's company. _A mere errand girl, an outcast trapped in this infernal place…and that this duty may well be my only salvation!_

It was a nauseating thought for the woman to be forced to stomach, she who had once been rightfully so greatly revered for her power and beauty. For even though she still retained the latter, she had been all but completely stripped of the former. Putting her in the position where it would be only through the successful completion of her current mission that she could escape this dreadful land, and regain her former station.

_No matter how important my task may be…to have fallen so low…!_ the woman thought scornfully. _And all for the sake of that…that mewling little child?!_

It was that part, more than anything, which made the woman's insides twist about in disgust. For while this task was essential, both on a personal level and to her homeland, being tasked with to cow-towing to such a pitiful little creature, playing the role of guide and guardian to something so utterly inferior was completely and thoroughly nauseating. Made even worse by the sheer arrogance the woman could see in the girl, despite her efforts to disguise it in meek behaviors and polite mannerisms.

_I can see through you so clearly, you pretentious little cow,_ the woman thought scornfully. _So proud, so smug, so utterly and thoroughly pathetic…how can so much depend upon something as pitiful as you?!_

Shaking her head in disgust, still unnoticed by those around her, the woman sighed in low disgust. For even as irksome as her task was, the pact had still been made. She had no choice but to uphold her end of the bargain she had struck, not if she wanted to reclaim that which was rightfully hers. _Besides,_ she thought, trying to find some measure of silver lining in the clouds that filled her situation, _no one said that I couldn't…amuse myself somewhat while I fulfill my tasks…_

With that in mind, the woman continued to study the unlikely pair. Already considering ways she might wring some enjoyment from this onerous duty, she rose up from her seat and prepared for the next stage. _Still…to play nursemaid to such a lowly creature…_ she thought, unable to escape just how disdainful it was for her to have fallen so long. _Volla has clearly gone mad…it is simply impossible for a pitiful child such as her to be the one…!_

* * *

Later that evening, Maria was relaxing in the passenger's seat of Rebecca's car, content to do little more than to just sit back, already half-asleep from a stomach full of delicious Italian cooking. "Getting sleepy, my little genius?" Rebecca wondered as they navigated the lonely Nevada roads between Santorini's and their home.

"Kind of," Maria replied, sighing as she thought back to the yummy cheesecake dessert that had been the crowning glory to their celebratory meal.

"Well, do me a favor and try not to nod off until after we get back home!" Rebecca pleaded of her. "It's still a ten minute drive, and you're getting too heavy to carry inside!"

Managing a muffled laugh, Maria was unable to muffle the yawn that subsequently escaped her lips. There was nothing quite like a full stomach to put her to sleep, and their dinner and dessert had certainly been filling. At the same time, she doubted that she could stay awake that long; while Santorini's was relatively close to NERV's Second Branch, it was still far enough that it took a bit of driving to get there and back. This, coupled with the largely empty roads of the Nevada desert, made for a long, boring drive. And thus the perfect combination to quickly render Maria insensate in no time.

_So if I want to stay awake, then I better keep myself occupied,_ Maria thought drowsily, shifting about in her seat. "Say, Rebecca," she began, focusing her mind on one of her many other concerns. "Do you think I'll ever get a chance to pilot?"

"Uh – what?!" Rebecca started, clearly surprised and confused by this query. "What do you mean, will you ever pilot?! You're _already _a pilot! You have your own Eva and everything!"

"But do you think I'll ever get to actually use it? In a real battle?" Maria wondered, this matter becoming clearer in her mind. "All the Angels that have shown up have gone straight to Japan. We haven't seen a single one in America."

"And some might call that a _good_ thing, Maria," Rebecca reminded her. "You _have _heard about all the destruction the Angels have caused so far, right? Cities destroyed, thousands of people dead. Tokyo-3 has taken a lot of punishment, and we've only seen three Angels so far."

"I…I know that," Maria replied, cognizant enough to be careful in the way she expressed this concern. "But…I've been training to be an Eva pilot for so long, and…I really do want to help."

_"And _get a chance to show the Angels what you're made of," Rebecca remarking in a knowing fashion.

Not bothering to deny this, especially to someone who knew her so well, Maria continued. "All I'm saying is, what if the Angels never come here?" she asked, almost pleading. "Ten years training to be a pilot…and it might all be for nothing…"

"I doubt that," Rebecca quickly assured her. "I can't imagine NERV letting you sit this war out. After all, you're not the only one who's invested in training you up." A beat passed before she added, "That Ph.D. of yours wasn't exactly cheap, remember?" As Maria silently conceded this valid point, her guardian continued with, "Besides, NERV Central's already arranged for the 2nd Child to be sent to Japan, so –"

"Huh?! Asuka?!" Maria started, taken aback by this revelation. Asuka Langley-Sohryu was the 2nd Child of NERV, the darling of NERV Germany and the designated pilot of Evangelion Unit 02. Though not well acquainted with her German counterpart, Maria had met her some years back during a trip to see the first of the Production Model Evangelions, the forerunner of her own Unit 04. Like herself, Asuka had been training since the age of four, though she had been declared an official Evangelion pilot long before Maria herself had been.

And now, it seemed that Asuka would also be seeing battle long before Maria herself did. An annoyance she put into words by saying, "She's going to Japan?!"

"That's right. I hear she and Unit 02 are supposed to be sent out in about a week," Rebecca confirmed with a nod.

"They're…really sending her out? To Japan?" Maria gaped, her weariness forgotten for the moment in the wake of surprise and envy. Transporting an Evangelion was no small feat, given their immense size. Shipping Unit 02 from a landlocked nation such as Germany would be exceptionally difficult, even more so than it would be to transport Unit 04. "Oh…wow…"

As words failed Maria utterly, Rebecca smiled knowingly. "Now, there's no need to be jealous…"

_Like hell there isn't!_ Maria thought. What she actually said was, "I…I'm not jealous. I…I just want to be out there. You know…doing what I'm trained to do."

"Namely, kicking butt and showing the Angels what's what?" Rebecca gathered. "Come on, Maria. I've been your guardian ever since NERV brought you in. You don't have to keep up the act around me." Allowing herself a smug look, she glanced over the girl at her side. "You don't just want to fight for the world. You also just want to _fight."_

Wincing at this declaration, Maria was caught between protesting this declaration and groaning in dismay at how well her guardian knew her. As she considered the situation, trying to think of the best way to respond to this allegation, all she could ultimately do was sit there as Rebecca went on to say, "Well, don't be so eager to dive headfirst into a war. Let Dr. Blaine and his people run their tests, get all the bugs out of Unit 04. That'll give you a chance to get some more training in, enjoy your life, and – what the -?!"

Starting at the way her guardian cut herself off, Maria frowned in confusion at the way her jaw fell and her eyes popped open. Then she followed Rebecca's gaze…and felt herself mirror Rebecca's expression.

A massive cloud of dark storm clouds was spilling forth from the horizon, obliterating the clear night sky they had been driving under mere moments ago. Cracks of thunder roared and jags of lightning leapt through the air high above them, the wind audibly sped up as waves of rain suddenly fell down upon them. In an instead, the peaceful Nevada night had been transformed into a massive thunderstorm the likes of which Maria had never once seen with her own eyes.

"Aw, shit!" Rebecca cried out, quickly slowing down and switching on the windshield wipers. "What the hell is this?! Where did this storm come from?!"

"This isn't right!" Maria cried out in protest, everything else forgotten as the sudden storm quickly went from bad to worse. "Storms don't just – they can't – this isn't possible!"

"Tell that to the storm!" Rebecca countered, swinging her wheel about.

"What are you doing?!" Maria demanded, shock and a bit of fear warring in her voice.

"Pulling over while I can still see where I'm driving!" Rebecca tersely responded even as she made her words a reality. "And as soon as I've done that, I'm contacting NERV! See if they have any idea what's going on here!"

Maria said nothing to this, mainly because she couldn't think of anything better at the moment. But Rebecca's words soon registered, prompting her eyes to widen. "Wait – you think this is -?!"

"I have no idea _what _to think!" Rebecca broke in as she pulled out her cell phone. "All I _know _is that something is wrong here, and I'm going to find out what!" Hurriedly dialing a number, she placed the phone to her ear. An instant later, annoyance flashed across her eyes as she held up the phone to her face. "Wha- no signal?!" Letting out a heavy groan, the dark-skinned woman let her cell phone flop down. "Great. Guess I _won't _be finding out what's going on, after all!"

Realizing that they were cut off from all outside assistance and were presently stuck in the absolute worst storm she had ever been in, Maria felt a chill of fear shoot up her spine. "So –what do we do now?!"

"As far as I can tell, there's only one thing we can do." With that, Rebecca turned the ignition key to off, and the car's engine suddenly fell silent. "Sit back, wait for this mess to clear up…and hope like crazy we don't get a tornado as well!"

It was a reasonable plan, Maria was forced to concede, but it was a plan that she did still did not like. Things had been going rather well that day for her, save for the setback of her lackluster initial synchronization, and now to be trapped in the middle of this unnatural storm and being completely unable to do anything about it did not sit well with her.

_Damn…just how long are we going to be stuck in this?!_ Maria fumed inwardly. _Stupid storm…why is this -?!_

The rain stopped. Even as Maria had been in the midst of ranting about her unpleasant situation, the driving rain and howling winds dissipated as suddenly as they had manifested, leaving the air calm and still. In an instant, the night was exactly as it had been before, with only the water streaming down the sides of the car and saturating the desert soil to indicate it had been raining at all.

As Maria stared in befuddlement, her guardian also expressed her confusion. "O-kay…_that _was weird…" Rebecca intoned. "Any thoughts?"

Frowning in consideration, Maria's first impulse was to say that they should drive back home before the inexplicable storm decided to come back. The voluminous clouds still filled the skies, with thunder and lightning continuing their dance in the skies. But as she continued to study the massive thunderheads, something caught her attention, causing a surprised gasp to pop out of her lips. Without so much as a thought, the blonde girl unbuckled her safety belt and popped open her door. "Maria?! What are you -?!" Rebecca protested, cutting herself as the Eva pilot slowly walked away from the car. Grunting in confused frustration, she hurriedly got out and followed. "Get back in the car! That storm might kick back up again, and -!"

"Rebecca…" Maria started, pointing up into the sky. "…what is _that?"_

Now it was Rebecca who followed her ward's astonished gaze, and who mirrored her expression when she saw what Maria was pointing at. Far above them, wreathed in the dense storm clouds, was a dazzling array of brilliant colors. A veritable rainbow shaped as a nebula overlaying the stars far above, a sight more magnificent than anything that the blonde had ever seen before.

And in its own way…was a sight even more unsettling than the storm that had just passed.

"What in the…is that an aurora?" Rebecca wondered, only to shake her head at her own suggestion. "No way…it's too far south!"

Rebecca was correct in this. Even with the climatic disruptions that had been the result of Second Impact, certain environmental aspects had remained the same. Which meant that an aurora had no business showing up in Nevada. "It doesn't look like an aurora, anyway," Maria remarked, scrutinizing the bizarre event. "It's nothing like the pictures I've seen."

"So…what _is _it?" Rebecca wondered as she continued to study the incredible phenomenon above, eyes filled with wonder.

* * *

"What are we dealing with here, people?" Captain Sanchez demanded as he paced about the bridge of NERV's Second Branch. His focus always on the massive holographic display that hung before him and the rest of the bridge crew, displaying the inexplicable atmospheric anomalies that they had detected less than a minute before. "Talk to me! Is it an Angel?!"

"Unknown, sir! The MAGI cannot identify this phenomenon!" Dr. Blaine, the middle-aged scientist studying the readouts with eyes filled with fascination. "There's nothing to indicate an Angel, though. No AT-Field detected!"

This revelation did not make Sanchez happy. If anything, he was even more unsettled. He could deal with a situation when he knew the proper response to it. Natural disasters, terrorist bombings, even attacks by the Angels were documented situations, ones in which they had planned and prepared responses for. Even in the case of an Angel showing up when all he had to work with was an Eva that had only been recently activated and a pilot who had never seen actual combat and wasn't even on the base at the moment, he knew what had to be done.

But something unknown, that he couldn't even identify…that was an entirely different matter altogether.

"What about the 5th Child?!" Sanchez eventually demanded. "Have you managed to contact her yet?!"

"Negative, sir!" one of the technicians announced. "Whatever this thing is, it's completely trashing all satellite communications and GPS systems! We can't even lock onto her cell phone! Never mind calling her!"

_So if it turns out that this thing _is _an Angel, we won't even be able to use Unit 04!_ Sanchez growled inwardly. "Get the last coordinates we have for her cell phone, then notify the Search and Rescue teams! We need to find the 5th Child and get her back here! _Stat!"_

"On it, sir!" replied one of the Lieutenants working nearby.

"Patch us in to NERV Central! I want all of our data sent their way immediately! Maybe they'll have a better chance of identifying this - whatever it is!" Captain Sanchez continued. "Notify Commander Fanning and -!"

"Sir!" came the voice of another technician. "We're detecting massive energy readings coming from the anomaly! Power levels spiking _big time!"_

Glancing in the direction of the technician, Sanchez scanned the technician's screen. Upon realizing that she had not been exaggerating matters, he growled in his throat and turned his focus to the holographic display. "What's happening out there?!"

* * *

_What's happening now?!_ Maria demanded inwardly as she continued to look up into the dazzling display in the sky.

The longer she studied what was going on in the sky, the more certain Maria became that, whatever this, it was no natural phenomenon. While she was certainly no expect in astronomy, she was quite familiar with the night sky above Nevada, enough to realize that none of the stars she saw looked right to her. None of the constellations she knew were to be seen, and though it could have been a trick of the bizarre lightshow she was being treated, she could have sworn that she could see what looked like far-off galaxies. The majestic panorama of light continued to dance before her, becoming more intense with each passing second.

And now, something else could be seen.

At first, Maria had thought it to be another star, one of the many to be seen. But then it became brighter, more brilliant, one color splintering off into another brilliant rainbow. It also became noticeably larger, continuing to grow larger. _Or...closer...!_ she soon realized, her eyes going wide with the realization. _Oh, sh-!_

_"Get back!"_ Rebecca suddenly cried out even as Maria felt a pair of hands grabbing her by the shoulder and almost yanking her off her feet. The youthful blonde too enraptured by what she was watching, she soon found her body running of its own accord even as she looked back up at the brilliant display. Just in time to see a blinding shaft of rainbow light wreathed in storm clouds surge down to the Earth only a few meters away from where they had been, followed by a crashing din that put the thunder from above to shame.

An instant later, a massive shockwave churned through the air, slamming into both Maria and her guardian. The harsh impact drove the air from her lungs just before it sent them flying a few meters through the air before they unceremoniously came crashing back to the ground. From there they went rolling into damp earth until finally coming to a halt.

When the shockwave expended itself, the wind still blowing heavily, Maria knew that now would be a good idea to get up and get moving again. She was aware that something had just crashed down nearby, and while she had no idea as to what that something might be, she did know that it could well be something dangerous. But at the same, her body was battered and bruised, and while she knew it would be a good idea to get moving, neither body nor spirit were quite up to acting on that good idea.

_Dammit…what did I do to deserve this crap…?_ Maria thought as she slowly recovered, at least enough to groan and begin dragging herself up to her feet. _Rebecca…where's Rebecca…? Is she…?_

A fit of coughing from a short distance away gave her a partial answer to her question. "M…Maria…?" came Rebecca's haggard voice. "Where…are you alright…?"

Orienting herself on the sound of her guardian's voice, Maria groaned with effort and slowly managed to prop herself up her elbows, allowing her to look and see a dark figure look up and peer at her. _Well…she looks like crap…but at least she's…okay,_ the blonde thought with a weary smile. "Over…here," she called out aloud. "What about you? Are you…okay?"

A groan was Rebecca's initial response, followed shortly by a muted laugh and a cough. "Well…I'm probably gonna…be spending the next few days…at the spa. But…I'll live, I guess."

_A few days at the spa. Now _there's _an idea!_ Maria thought, realizing that she was probably every bit as messed up as her guardian. "Well…we can make a trip of it…" she meekly suggested, something that garnered a mild laugh and a couple coughs from Rebecca. "What…what _was _that…anyway…?"

A beat pass before Rebecca answered. "I dunno, but – _aw, shit!"_

"What?!" Maria called out, looking about to see what threat prompted such a panicked reaction from her guardian. "What – do you see something?!"

_"My car!"_ Rebecca wailed despondently. _"That thing wrecked my damn car!"_

It was then that Maria finally saw it. The shockwave that had sent them both flying had subjected their car to similarly harsh treatment. It was now lying on its side, and it was fairly obvious that it had acquired some new dents and scrapes as a result. _Shit, and with the cell phones not working…_ she vehemently thought, knowing a bad situation when she saw one. _Looks like we're in for one hell of a long walk home!_

This revelation gave her the final spur she needed to force herself back up to her feet. Wincing in pain at every move she made, Maria looked over to see Rebecca stand as well, uttering a series of bungled curses and threats and vows that she would not be stuck with the bill for this. Standing up straight and stretching out, frowning at the sound and sensation of several vertebrae popping, the bedraggled blonde groaned as she again looked about. And once again found herself shocked.

The cosmic light show that had once thrilled and frightened her alike was gone. Vanished without so much as a trace, along with the all enshrouding storm clouds that had once framed it. The sky was once again normal, as if nothing happened.

But something else _had _happened, Maria realized as she scanned the area. "Rebecca," she began, bringing her hand to her mouth in astonishment, "look!"

"What is it, Maria?" Rebecca replied crossly, still focused on her car as she turned towards her ward. "Do you see…oh. Oh…_shit!"_

_Definitely,_ Maria thought as she and Rebecca looked towards where they had seen something come crashing down to Earth. Now that she was standing straight and was somewhat recovered, she could make out the tremendous crater that had been left behind by the shaft of rainbow light. It looked to be several meters in radius, and while fairly shallow, the forces that had created it had scorched the earth and left it dark and ashen.

"What was that thing?!" Rebecca wondered aloud as Maria continued to study the crater. "I know it wasn't a meteorite, so what…what _was_ all that?!"

_That's what _I _want to know!_ Maria scowled, hating the fact that something so inexplicable had happened and had so thoroughly wrecked her otherwise pleasant evening. And hating even more the fact that she had absolutely no idea how or why any of these things had transpired in the first place. _What was with that cosmic lightshow, and what was that thing that hit -?!_

Something caught Maria's eye.

It wasn't much; little more than a shiny glint in the otherwise dark night. But it was very definitely real; a tiny spark of light, shining like a tiny beacon from the center of the crater. A glint of gold in the middle of ash and shadow.

Maria had no idea what it was. But she had just had her evening, her mood, and her car wrecked. She and her guardian could very well have been killed by what had happened, and if the thing that was now glinting at her was somehow responsible for all of this madness, then she wanted to know what it was. So without a thought to the potential danger, the blonde started towards the crater, a determined scowl on her face.

* * *

"Huh?! Maria, where are you – get back here!" cried out the older of the pair of females. Quickly starting after the younger of the two, the one that so much fuss was being made over. All the while the woman that had shadowed them from the restaurant watched with a sense of amusement over their plight.

_That _was _enjoyable,_ she mused with a devious smirk on her face, surveying the carnage done to both them and their pitiful metal chariot. _It's been all too long since I've been able to indulge in such fun. And no real harm done to Volla's precious child of destiny…!_

Still, while the woman was completely unimpressed by the pitiful little waif she had been charged with watching over, she had to give her credit for having courage, if not intelligence. Most of her kind would have been cowed by the demonstration of divine might and would have kept their distance, if not flee into the night. Whereas this girl was marching towards the heavenly object that had been sent to this world, moving without fear.

_Still, I wonder how long your courage will last, you little cow…_ the woman thought, smiling as her fun continued.

* * *

"What are you doing, Maria?!" Rebecca continued to protest even as the young blonde continued to march towards the center of the crater. "Get back here!"

Maria didn't respond at first. She kept marching forward, drawn by the light of the golden glint.

"Maria!" Rebecca tried again, this time with greater force in her voice. "What the -?!"

"There's something in here!" Maria broke in forcefully, not bothering with her usual polite mannerisms. "See? Right ahead! That golden thing!"

"I see it! But so what?!" Rebecca protested. "Maria, that – whatever-it-is – it almost hit us! We could have been killed by it! And we still might be if we hang around here!" A beat passed before she tried a different tact. "Who knows _what _that thing is! It might be poisonous, or radioactive!"

It was a valid point, Maria silently conceded. And she knew that Rebecca was concerned for her safety, and rightfully so after everything that had happened, but at the moment, she honestly didn't care. Something utterly and completely bizarre was happening to her, and she wanted to know what it was. And if there was any answer to the questions she had regarding this madness, then the object just ahead was her only chance at having them. And she wasn't in the mood to wait for some rescue that might or might not be coming, she didn't have the patience to sit through having NERV run test after test on the object ahead, only for them to possibly give her an unsatisfactory answer or to decide to classify everything.

She wanted to know _now_. And when Maria Vincennes wanted something, she was determined to get it by any means necessary.

"Maria Vincennes," Rebecca intoned in a low, silky manner that signified that she was rapidly running out of patience, "if you do not stop and turn around this instant, I swear I will grab you up by your ankles and – _gyaaahhhh!"_

Chilled to the core by her guardian's shriek, as well as a bizarre crackling sound that overlaid it, Maria whirled about, only for her face to fall in shock once again. A massive swath of what looked like ice crystals was springing up from ground, shattering earth and enveloping whatever was luckless enough to lay in its path. To the blonde's horror, Rebecca happened to have been that luckless. Before her eyes, her guardian was soon encased in the grotesque growth of frost, a look of pained horror frozen on her face.

"Rebecca?!" Maria shrieked, everything else forgotten as she shot towards the ice crystals. Without hesitation or care, she pressed herself up against the frozen mass, pounding on it as she stared at her guardian. "Oh, God…_Rebecca!"_

"The gods aren't listening, mortal," came a low, gruff voice from somewhere off to Maria's side. "But if you have sense about you, you _will _listen to _me_ now!"

"Huh?!" Maria gasped as she whirled about, a fresh surge of horror running down her spine at the sight of the man speaking to her. He was huge, eight feet tall at least, garbed in leather and metal armor, like something she had seen at the Renaissance Festival. Beneath his skin bulged layer after layer of solid muscle, the kind that even the most hardcore of bodybuilders would be hard-pressed to achieve. He was bald with a goatee and mustache, and had a dangerous smirk playing about his lips. But what really caught her attention was the massive double-bladed battle-axe that he effortlessly carried as he marched towards her.

"Leave this place now, girl. Leave me to my prize," the man growled lowly, raising his axe in readiness. "Or I vow you will meet your gods this night!"

* * *

Author's Notes: Meet Maria Vincennes, the newest member in the ranks of the Superwomen of Eva. Can anybody guess which heroic mantle she will be taking up? Please, read and review! And maybe check out my other stories?

For those of you wondering, Maria is an extracanonical character created specifically for a Japanese card-based RPG, "NERV: The White Paper". As a result, she's basically a blank slate, and easy for me to shape in any way I want for the sake of this story.

Now I'm certain some of you out there are probably thinking I need to have my head examined for starting up another story right now, but the truth is, I was inspired by some new stories featuring this character, including Chuckman's Eva crossover works. And given the sheer number of possible stories that can be done in the SOE universe, all the possibilities Marvel has come up with over the years...well, you get the idea.

Let me know what you think, and if you want to see more. For now, I'll leave you with an omake, and as Stan Lee would say, Excelsior!

Omake

Later that evening, Maria was relaxing in the passenger's seat of Rebecca's car, content to do little more than to just sit back, already half-asleep from a stomach full of delicious Italian cooking. "Getting sleepy, my little genius?" Rebecca wondered as they navigated the lonely Nevada roads between Santorini's and their home.

"Kind of," Maria replied, sighing as she thought back to the yummy cheesecake dessert that had been the crowning glory to their celebratory meal.

"Well, do me a favor and try not to nod off until after we get back home!" Rebecca pleaded of her. "It's still a ten minute drive, and you're getting too heavy to carry inside!"

Managing a muffled laugh, Maria was unable to muffle the yawn that subsequently escaped her lips. "It sure...crowded there tonight...wasn't it?" she remarked, trying to keep sleep at bay. "I can't remember the last time we had to wait in line so long..."

"Neither can I," Rebecca agreed. Then she shot Maria a playful glance. "Santorini's has been pretty popular lately. I wonder how that happened..."

* * *

"You know something?" Anthony Santorini mused thoughtfully as he worked in his kitchen, overseeing the cleanup of his prized family restaurant after a long, hard day of earning a living. Staring out a nearby window at the Vegas strip, at the many bright lights and billboards that were to be seen. "When they put up that billboard, all I could think was that that was the biggest, gaudiest, tackiest piece of advertising I have ever seen in my entire life!"

"I know, Dad," chuckled Marco Santorini as he mopped the floor nearby. "I remember you ranting about it for days when they first put it up!"

Nodding at in memory of this, Anthony shrugged. "I thought for sure that thing would put us out of business!" he admitted, gesturing at the billboard in question. "I know that _I_ would never go to a restaurant advertised by something like _that!"_

Chuckling once more, Marco replied, "Then I'm glad that most people aren't you, Dad." Then he paused to eye the billboard and added, "Just like I'm glad that girl managed to get that billboard up for us. I never imagined we'd have business _this _good!"

"Why do you think I always make certain that she gets a table whenever she comes by?" Anthony asked with a sense of amusement as he looked up at the billboard. It was huge, lined with all kinds of lights and fancy effects. It featured a picture of his prized restaurant, with an animated image of Maria Vincennes in the foreground saying, 'This is my favorite spot in Las Vegas! Santorini's; NERV approved, pilot endorsed!'. Shaking his head, the elder Santorini looked at his son and added, "Still, I wish I knew how she managed to arrange getting that thing up in place to begin with?"

* * *

"So, tell me something, Maria," Rebecca continued with a knowing smirk. "Just how long is that billboard going to be up there?"

Maria smirked back and answered, "As long as a certain Commander Nancy Lamberton wants to keep the Instrumentality Committee from finding out how she's _really _spending her time _and_ NERV's money!"

Making a thoughtful noise at this, Rebecca nodded and decided, "In that case...Santorini's is going to be seeing some excellent business for a very, _very _long time...!"


	2. Hammer Time

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion, or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything belonging to Marvel Comics or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Chapter 2: Hammer Time

_This can't be happening!_ Maria thought as she timidly backed away from the man before her. Her eyes glued to both the massive battle-axe he held, and the dangerous smirk on his face that made it clear that he had no compunction against using it in on the young girl if she got in his way. _This can't be happening, this can't be happening, this can't be happening…oh, somebody!_ Please _wake me up from this goddamned nightmare!_

But no matter how many times this fearful mantra ran through her mind, no matter how often the young blonde pleaded to be allowed to wake up and find herself safely in her bed back at home, or even at the hospital back at NERV, there was no escaping the fearful unreality of her situation. Her guardian, Rebecca, was locked in a small glacier, and Maria was trapped, confronted by a monstrous man made of solid muscle and his lethal axe.

"Did you not hear me, youngling?" the man demanded in a gloating fashion, as if privately delighting in the terror that was clutching at Maria's heart. "Flee this place now, unless you place no value on your miserable little life!"

Maria couldn't help but be afraid, and it disgusted her. She had been training all her life for combat, to wage a war against monsters infinitely more powerful and terrifying than a man with an axe. Every day for the past ten years, being trained by NERV and earning a degree a college, everything had been for the purpose of becoming a warrior. And now she was reduced to being trapped out in the middle of nowhere, helpless and afraid.

_If I had my Unit 04, I'd show you what's what, you bastard!_ Maria thought, fear giving birth to hatred for this awful creature that had come out of nowhere and done what he had done. _If I just…!_

"Time's running out, mortal," the bald axe-wielder informed her with a menacing chuckle to his words as he advanced upon her. "If you don't leave now, I'll find a place for your head on my wall!"

Glancing at the massive crescent-shaped blades of his axe and not doubting for an instant that he could make good on his threat, Maria quickly considered her options. She could indeed run, but that would mean leaving Rebecca behind, trapped in ice, with this barbarian free to do to her as he pleased. And even if she tried to save herself, there was no guarantee that he would let her live. She could try to contact NERV, but with the interference from before, she couldn't be certain if she could reach them, let alone if they could get to her and Rebecca in time. The car could of help, if it weren't on its side and probably too heavy for Maria to shove back over on her own power

_Dammit! I've been studying battle strategies and participating in combat simulations all these years…there's got to be _something _I can do!_ Maria thought feverishly. _I've just got to _think _of it!_

Unfortunately, the 5th Child of NERV could only think of one possibility at that moment. She had to buy herself time and learn more about her attacker. Only then could she formulate an effective strategy to deal with her predicament.

At this, Maria widened her eyes in a fearful variation of the puppy-dog eyes, balled up her hands and put them to her chin, and basically made like a helpless, terrified little girl. "Wh-why…?" she sobbed out, tears of terror coming more easily than she was happy with. "Why a-are you doing this…wh-who are you?"

"Who am _I?!"_ the bald barbarian replied in a mocking fashion, gesturing towards himself with his monstrous axe before breaking out in barking laugh. "I am Skurge, the Executioner, little mortal! And as for why I am here…" He then held out his axe and pointed with it. When Maria turned and followed the instrument of death with her eyes, she saw that it was aimed at the golden glint that had drawn her into the crater. "…I have come on a quest! And I will brook no interference with it, not when I am this close to my goal!"

_He wants the – whatever-it-is that crashed here,_ Maria realized._ That makes sense. No way his showing up now when we almost get splattered by it was a coincidence!_ At this bit of success in learning of her enemy, she felt a small sense of triumph, for knowing an enemy's objective was the first step in thwarting them. Then, sending a few more tears down her face, she asked, "Wh-what about…R-Rebecca? I-is she…?"

"Rebecca?" Skurge wondered, just before comprehension lit his features. "Aha, your friend, the maiden!" glancing over his shoulder at the frozen woman, he chuckled lowly before again looking at Maria. "Nay, she still lives."

"Th-then…_please! _Let her go!" Maria sobbed, hoping that she wasn't going too far so the waterworks that she came off as being less than convincing in her pleas. "Let her go, a-and I'll take her, and – you c-can have the…!"

The deadly grin that split Skurge's face stopped Maria's words in her throat, a fresh jolt of sheer terror freezing its way down her spine. "Nay…I think not. For this has been a long day in coming for me! Soon, I wield the power of the gods themselves!" Again looking back at the frozen Rebecca, the Executioner growled out, "And when the power of Asgard is in my hands, this will truly be day of celebration for me!"

_Power of Asgard?!_ Maria thought. What she actually said was, "C-celebration…?"

"Aye! And there's only one way to celebrate such glory! And that is with wine, woman, and song!" At this declaration, Skurge returned his attention to Maria. "I have casks of the finest mead waiting, and minstrels to sing songs of my long quest! All that remains is a woman for my pleasure." Again eyeing Rebecca, the Executioner added, "And by the look of this maiden…she shall do nicely!"

This statement banished all of Maria's fear, and caused her eyes and mouth to round with horror. The blonde remembered little of her life before the fateful day that NERV had selected her as a prospective Child, but she knew it had been horrible. Left without a family as a result of Second Impact, no memory of her biological parents, and no one else to take care of her, leaving her at the mercy of the overwhelmed Nevada Department of Social Services. And under the care of an orphanage, one of several in the Las Vegas area, with little in the way of supplies and resources, and while there had been people that had tried to help the children there, there had also been those who took pleasure in their misery.

Then had come the blessed day that NERV has come looking for prospective pilots, and Maria, out of all the other children at that particular orphanage, had stood out, and had subsequently been given a home at the Second Branch of NERV. More than a home; she had been made the center of a grand experiment by NERV to produce a superior pilot. Instead of depending chance to produce the ideal Child to operate the mighty Unit 04, she had been raised as Asuka had been, given an advanced education and training.

And she had been granted something else. A kind woman who had seen her and had taken Maria in, volunteered to be her guardian, to take care of her and tuck her into bed each night, to read her stories and do all the things a parent did for her child. Who had seen to her training, education, and quality of life, and proven herself to be a intelligent, compassionate person. Certainly as good a mother figure as any biological parent, and quite likely a great deal better.

And now, that kindly woman was locked in ice, the man that had done this to her declaring his intent to make her his whore. A thing of pleasure in order to satisfy his base lusts.

As Maria fumed in outrage, the man that had so terrified her gave even more fuel to that fire. "A pity you haven't seen a few more summers, mortal, or I might have seen fit to give you a place in my celebration," Skurge declared in a scornful manner. "I have answered your questions, now take your leave of this place! Before my patience wears thin."

_What?! I'm not good enough for him?!_ Maria shrieked inwardly at this insult, her mind having been made up. _Okay, that does it! No way in hell I'm letting you lay a finger on Rebecca or get away with pushing me around!_ Taking a cautious step backwards, stalling for more time, the blonde thought furiously, trying to come with a way of making good on her inner boasts. _And…I think I might have something!_

The first step towards stopping an enemy was to learn his or her goal. That had been one of the earliest lessons Maria had been taught during her time at NERV. You learned what they were after, you had many options, ranging from defending that prize from the enemy, or destroying it so that they could not claim it for themselves. And because Skurge had been foolish enough to underestimate a Child of NERV, he had allowed her to goad him into revealing what he was after.

_You second big mistake, bastard! Right after freezing Rebecca!_ Maria thought, still acting the role of a weak, scared, pathetic little girl as she slowly backed away. "O-okay…j-just…don't…hurt her…" she sobbed aloud. "Please…let her go…"

"Of course I will let her go…after I'm done with her!" Skurge declared with grin. "As for not hurting her…I make no promises." Then his grin faded as he raised his axe. "Now, begone, youngling! For my patience is at an end!"

Still sobbing with everything she was worth, Maria nodded pitifully, backing away from the Executioner. "Okay…I'm going…I'm…going, you…_sucker!"_

"Huh?!" Skurge got out, clearly surprised by Maria suddenly dropping her charade. And even moreso by her turning and bolting in the direction of the golden glint she had seen. Moving as swiftly as her legs could carry her, making the most of the head start she had given herself.

_Whatever that thing is, he wants it! And if I can get it…!_ Maria told herself, her chain of thought trailing off, as she wasn't certain what she would do then. Chiefly because she had no idea of what exactly it was this axe-wielding lunatic wanted. _Power of the gods…sounds like it might be a weapon! If I can get it, figure out how to use it -!_

"Foolish child!" Skurge roared in patent outrage. The sound of heavy, tramping footsteps signaling his pursuit. "Your life is forfeit!"

The sound of something whistling through the air reached Maria's ears, followed by something metallic striking the earth. Before she could even wonder why Skurge would be swinging his axe when he wasn't close enough to strike her with it, two more sounds were heard. That of flames roaring, and earth being torn apart, sounds that heralded a wave of tremendous heat that was quickly growing in intensity.

In that instant, years of training kicked in, and Maria instinctively leapt to the side, curling up into a ball and rolling on the ground, allowing her momentum to carry her as far from whatever had been closing in on her. When she came to a stop, the girl found herself laying on her side, and instinctually looked towards the source of the heat, only for her eyes to widen when she saw a wave of lingering flame rising up from the ground in a trail. A trail that she quickly followed with her eyes back to its source. And saw Skurge glaring back at her, his axe embedded in the ground, the head aglow with the color as the flames.

_Oh, shit!_ Maria thought, drops of sweat rolling down her face as her plight worsened. _Well, that explains what happened to Rebecca! That axe must have a freeze setting as well!_ Pausing to glance back at her guardian, the blonde frowned worriedly. _I just hope she's okay in there! If she -!_

A furious grunt was heard, prompting Maria to look back at Skurge. Nearly passing out when she saw him charging at her, axe at the ready. _No! Stupid! Never let yourself get distracted!_ she cursed herself, already dragging herself back up to her feet. _Eyes on the prize! Just like Captain Sanchez is always saying! Eyes on the prize!_

Breaking into a fresh run, Maria quickly oriented herself on the golden gleam that stood out like a lighthouse in the night. "Get away from that, girl!" came Skurge's voice, rife with menace. "Your life is already forfeit! Surrender, and I will make your end swift and painless!"

_Dead if I do and dead if I don't, huh?!_ Maria thought, sheer adrenaline spurring her on even faster. _Not much reason to give up, stupid! Especially since I'm practically on top of this thing!_

Indeed, it was almost in reach. Only a few meters away, allowing Maria to see so clearly an object of gold partly in the scorched earth. _I don't know what the heck this thing is, but…it better be something I can use to stop this guy!_ she thought fearfully, her heart pounding in her ears as Skurge's thunderous footsteps drew ever closer. _Or at least something I can use to get him to -!_

A fierce roar of battle was heard, followed again by the sound of something whipping through the air. All the warning Maria needed to leap forward, just enough to avoid the cleaving edge of the axe's blade, allowing it to slip between her legs and strike the earth instead. But before the blonde could celebrate this minor victory, the ground below her seemed to explode, releasing a shockwave that slammed into her, catapulting her up into the air.

_"Whhaaaaahhh!"_ Maria shrieked as the world tumbled wildly about her, a crazed blur that quickly left her dizzied. Continuing to cry out in fear, the 5th Child couldn't tell how long or far she flew, until at last she came crashing back down to the ground. The force of the impact driving the air from her lungs, she lay there stunned, her nervous system too overwhelmed by everything that had happened to function as it should. She couldn't move, couldn't even move her eyes about to see where she was. Let alone scan for the object she had been running towards, or the monstrous man that had nearly killed her.

And then she heard it. Footsteps. Heavy, powerful footsteps grinding in the scorched earth, accompanied by a sneering chuckle.

_Skurge…he's coming…!_ Maria realized, her mind still addled from both the crash landing and the sudden rush of fear surging through her. _Gotta…get up…gotta move…!_

But as mightily she struggled to make this thought reality, her battered body was sluggish to heed her commands. Giving Maria plenty of time to watch as Skurge appeared out of the corner of her, grinning that dangerous grin of his. "You came close, mortal," he told her in a mocking fashion. "But even if you had reached it, the might of Asgard would have been useless in your hands." Her eyes going wide with fear, she watched as the Executioner began to slowly raise his axe above his head. "Now, hold very still…so I can put an end your struggles!"

_Came…close?_ Maria thought, her wearied mind seizing upon these words in sheer desperation. Forcing herself to look away from the axe's deadly edge, the bedraggled Child shifted her gaze one way, then the other. Finally, turning her head up as far as she could, she gasped in surprise when she saw what Skurge had meant. The golden object that had drawn her gaze was less than a foot away from her head, giving her a perfect view of it. It was a hammer, made of gold, with a cylindrical head, almost like a judge's gavel. The handle was straight and stout, bound in leather, with a loop of the same material hanging from the end. In addition, the entire thing was huge; the head of the hammer was larger around than Maria's thigh, and it looked to weigh at least a hundred pounds.

Maria's first reaction was to be annoyed. All of this trouble, Rebecca about to be pressed into service as Skurge's whore and Maria's life about to be ended before it could even truly begin, and all for a hammer. But even as this thought manifested, she recalled the fiery power of Skurge's axe, having seen it in action. _And if he wants this thing so bad…_ she thought, forcing herself to move, to raise her right arm. _Then…maybe…_

"Quit struggling, mortal. It is useless," Skurge goaded her, his tone making it clear that he was completely unconcerned. Not even making an effort to stop her from reaching forth, even though he was certainly in a position to. He even seemed to be enjoying her continued struggles for survival. "This hammer is not for the likes of you!"

_C'mon…do it!_ Maria told herself, forcing to ignore Skurge, ignore Rebecca's plight, ignore everything by the hammer that was now so close. Forcing her right arm to move, to reach up towards the handle. _Almost there…just a bit more…!_

As Maria's hand drew close to the handle, something happened to give the girl pause. The gold of the hammer seemed to light up, its glow lighting up her outstretched hand. Pausing in astonished confusion, she watched as portions of the surface became even brighter, as if sections were beginning to melt. The light was brilliant, almost blinding, and for a moment, the hammer was so intensely bright that she could see the bones of her own hand. But then the light subsided, and the blonde was given another surprise.

As the hammer's glow subsided to more manageable levels, Maria gasped as she realized that portions of the golden surface remained molten in appearance, with these portions forming patterns. More importantly, they formed legible words, written in English. And despite everything, despite the terror and the fact that death hovered just above her, she was given pause, and was forced to read aloud.

"Whosoever holds this hammer…" Maria whispered, her voice just barely audible, even to her own ears, "…if ye be worthy…shall possess the power…of Thor…?"

"What in the Nine Realms is -?!" came Skurge's voice, his voice painted a picture of his confused face in the blonde's mind. Unable to resist, Maria found herself looking up at her captor, and found his expression exceeded her expectations. "The inscription appears for you?! This cannot -!" Then the Executioner looked down at her, surprise shifting to hatred as he raised his axe overhead. _"Die!"_

Fresh fear spurring her into action, Maria cried out and grabbed hold of the hammer.

An instant later, lightning came crashing down upon the hammer, and then surged into the frightened girl.

Crying out in shock as the power of the storm coursed through body, burning through her form and crackling about her nervous system, Maria was convinced that she was about to die. But seconds passed as the lightning danced about her, and she continued to cry out, continued to breathe. Continued to live.

And as she became aware of this, Maria realized something else. The power coursing through her was killing her, but taking hold of her. Filling every muscle, every nerve, every cell, rebuilding them and remaking her. She could feel her youthful body growing stronger, more powerful, her clothing fading away and being replaced.

It was wonderful. Sheer ecstasy. As if she was shedding her previous existence, and being reborn as something more.

As a _goddess…_

* * *

_Well, now…it seems that Volla hasn't lost herself to senility after all…_ the woman noted with a bit of surprise, watching from a distance as lightning rained down on the girl she had been sent to watch, wind swirling about her. The divine forces that surrounded and penetrated her granting her their blessings even as they forced Skurge backwards. _Either that, or Eitri was more lax in this hammer's creation than I would have expected._

Whichever was the case, the woman contented herself to watch as the lightning and wind soon ebbed away, their work done. The mortal they had touched no longer the pitiful little waif she had seen before. At least, she was no longer that girl in body.

"Whoa…" the girl – Maria, the woman reminded herself – groaned as she began to rise up, getting up on one knee, using the hammer to steady herself. "Now _that…_was _power!"_

_Indeed. And now you enjoy all the trappings of that power,_ the woman thought as she studied the empowered mortal. While her face and hair were largely unchanged, her physique had been suitably amplified. Large, rippling muscles coiled about her frame, and her female figure had been duly filled out. Her mortal attire had been replaced with Asgardian battle armor. Colored in white and dark blue, a thick golden belt circled the girl's waist, with two silver disks embedded in the front. Another set of silver disks were situated just below her breasts, with a third set near her shoulders, holding in place a crimson cape. There were golden bracelets about her biceps, and she wore thick white gloves with strips of leather and metal about them. She also wore armored, golden boots with heavy knee pads, and on her head was a forehead guard with metallic wings flaring out to the sides.

_Impressive armor, girl. Very reminiscent of…his…_ the woman continued, suffering a moment of pain stabbing into her heart at the name she just barely avoided thinking of. _But it isn't armor, or even the divine might of the gods that makes a warrior, as I have been so reminded in the past._ Gesturing with her right hand, she studied her vassal, her Executioner. _I think it's time I learned just how effective Volla's promised child truly is…_

* * *

Power. That's what Maria felt coursing through her. All she could really think of at that moment. Everything, her former danger, Rebecca's plight, all of it was forgotten in that moment as she stood tall, studying the new body she wore.

Power.

_This is…unbelievable!_ Maria grinned deliriously, holding up her left arm and flexing, her eyes expanding in awe at the massive bicep that bulged up to greet her. _Oh, god...this is so much more! So amazing! I…!_

Maria's chain of thought broke apart at this point, and for good reason. For there was simply no words capable of describing what she felt. The power she felt coursing through her, empowering her. Making her feel as if there was nothing she could not do, that no enemy that she could not crush in her hands. It was everything she had always imagined synchronizing with Unit 04 would be like, only more.

And as Maria crouched there, savoring in the sensation of sheer, unadulterated power that coursed through her veins, she realized that this was even better. Because it wasn't Unit 04's power that she was savoring. It was her own. It was her own muscles that flowed with unbridled might, her chest that swelled with raw power. It was her body, transformed, remade into everything she had ever dreamed of and wanted.

And it was wonderful.

As Maria savored the rapture of her new form, a gruff voice intruded upon her inner nirvana. "What…no!" Frowning at this disruption of her moment of bliss, she looked towards the speaker, and was brought back to the moment when she saw Skurge standing a short distance away, axe still in hand, and an expression of disbelief and outrage upon his face. "This…this cannot be! You – you are but a mortal! You cannot – this can't -!"

As Skurge visibly grew more flustered and confused, Maria couldn't help but grin in disdain. "I don't know what you're talking about, and I don't know how this happened!" she declared as she returned to the moment. Returned to the reality that this ogre had attacked her and had encased her guardian in ice. Had very nearly killed them both. "But I _do_ know that your precious hammer belongs to _me_ now! And unless you let Rebecca go this second, I will make you sorry you were ever born!"

Starting at this, Skurge scowled and cradled his axe in readiness. "You would dare threaten a warrior of Asgard?!" he snarled hatefully. "It is _you _who will learn to regret being brought into this world!"

Her heart pounding furiously in her chest, Maria realized that, in a very real way, her fondest wish had just been granted. Long had she wished to see battle during her many years of training as a pilot. She had fantasized of battling Angels she had concocted in her head, she had studied the reports of the battles that had taken place thus far in Japan. All the while hoping and pleading that she would have a chance to make those dreams reality.

Now, that chance was in reach. She wasn't piloting an Eva, and her enemy was no Angel. But none of that mattered to Maria. All that really mattered to her was that she had finally being given the gift of battle. And she was not about to waste that chance.

"Then come and get it, Skurge!" Maria shot back eagerly as she rose to her feet, lifting her new hammer from its place of impact. "And I will – _huh?!"_

Something was wrong. Maria was being pulled somewhat off-balance by the hammer's weight even as she rose to her feet. "What the -?!" she spat out as she stumbled somewhat, quickly grabbing the handle with her other hand. Recovering her balance, she held up the golden weapon, still shocked by how much it weighed, even to her mighty new form.

_Wha…I figured this thing would be _heavy_, but…!_ Maria thought incredulously as she studied the hammer, only to be brought back to the moment when a harsh cry of battle reached her ears. Looking about, she gasped at the sight of Skurge charging towards her, axe held high over his shoulder. Acting on pure instinct and anticipating her enemy's next move, she held up her golden weapon, moving it just in time as the massive warrior swung his mighty axe. The two artifacts of destruction collided with each other in a shower of sparks, jags of lightning shooting forth from the hammer as Skurge fought with all his might to complete his swing, while Maria did her all to stop his axe from reaching her face.

"So…it seems you are not so worthy after all, mortal…!" Skurge gritted out from between his teeth. Grunting as he fought his way forward, he narrowed his eyes dangerously. "You should have surrendered when you had the chance. Because now…your end will be slow and filled with pain!"

"Like hell it will!" Maria shot back, pushing back as hard as she could, her brow furrowed dangerously as her NERV training kicked in. She was presently deadlocked against Skurge, his greater height and clear experience in battle giving him a considerable advantage. But while the new goddess had never been in battle herself, she had still taken all the self-defense courses NERV had put her through. She had handled firearms and weapons, been trained in hand-to-hand combat, all in anticipation of the day when she would lend her skills to her mighty Eva in exchange for its power. And while she had never trained to fight with a hammer, she had been trained on how to deal with situations such as this.

As Skurge continued to try and overwhelm her by sheer brute strength, Maria did the smart thing, and with a quick step to the side, she allowed the bladed edge of his axe to slide off her hammer. Unencumbered now that her foe had completed his swing, she cried out in battle, taking full advantage of her opening to swing her hammer into his side with all her strength.

To her immense shock, the result was nothing short of spectacular. Skurge flew away as if he had been struck with a dynamo, arcing twenty feet into the air and flying even further away, tumbling out of control as he cried out in pain and shock.

Watching in dumbfounded shock as the Executioner flew further away, soon obscured by the darkness of night, Maria felt her mouth hang open as she blinked once, twice, three times before shaking her head clear of the astonishment that overwhelmed her. When she finally recovered, she held up her hammer to her face, and let out a low whistle. "Whoa…just how strong am I now…?" she wondered, only to wince as she again returned to the moment. "Wait…_Rebecca!"_

With this utterance, Maria quickly glanced about, searching for her guardian. Only to suffer a pang when she again saw her trapped in the small glacial mass. Without another thought to the vanquished Executioner, she bolted towards her imprisoned guardian, her powerful new body allowing her to be at her side in the span of seconds. When the new goddess was once again confronted with the expression of confused terror that had been frozen on Rebecca's face, she gulped loudly. "Please be okay…!" she pleaded of her guardian. Then she sucked in a deep breath, determined to regain control of herself and her situation. "Just – hang on!" Holding up her hammer, watching as sparks of lightning leapt off it, she then hefted it overhead. "I'll have you out in -!"

"I would recommend against that…mortal," came a voice, a silky smooth, condescending voice that Maria didn't know at all. Lowering her hammer, she turned in the voice's direction, just in time to receive the latest of the many shocks she had suffered that evening. A cloud of green smoke appeared from the ground a short distance away, and quickly rose up. And as it did, a female figure appeared from it, until at last it had disappeared, and the woman that had manifested it gave a toss of her head. "Unless you wish to shatter both the ice…and your precious guardian."

Narrowing her eyes hatefully, Maria studied the woman before her. She was tall with long, blonde hair that blew easily about in the light wind, and had a full figure that even super models would kill for. She wore a strange green dress that showed plenty of cleavage, as well as green leggings and arm coverings. She also wore some kind of green crown, and had green eyes. But what really grabbed Maria's attention and instantly made her hate this woman was the smug, superior, contemptuous smile she leveled at the new goddess.

"Who are you?!" Maria promptly demanded, holding up her hammer before her in a battle-ready position. "What are you doing here?!"

The woman just smiled, shaking her head in haughty disdain. "Oh, how typical of you mortals. 'Who are you?', 'what are you doing?', 'why are you here?'…truly, you are all too predictable."

Further angered by this stranger's attitude, Maria glanced over at her guardian, without any way of knowing if she was still alive, and if so, for how much longer she could stay that way. "Answer me!" she demanded, shifting her position so that she stood between this unwelcome visitor and Rebecca. "Or you're gonna find out what happened to the last guy who messed with me! The _hard way!"_

"Hmph…I'm already aware of Skurge's fate, little girl, as well as a great many other things." A low growl sounded in Maria's throat, one that was interrupted when the woman cocked her head to the side and gave her a thoughtful look. "Still…under the circumstances, I suppose a…proper introduction is in order." Spreading her arms out to the side, her hands lighting up with energy, the woman smirked. "I am known as Amora, the Enchantress. The most powerful sorceress of all of Asgard. And as for why I'm here…" Letting her arms fall to her side, her magical lightshow fading as did her smile, Amora sighed in annoyance. "…as unlikely as it may be…I am here to offer you my…assistance."

Of all the things that Maria might have imagined this woman saying, this had not even come close to numbering among them. "Assistance?!" she repeated disbelievingly, staring daggers at Amora. "You're saying…you're here to _help_ me?"

"That _is _the implication of an offer of assistance, is it not?" Amora asked in a bored, annoyed manner. "Do you doubt my word?"

"Right now, there's a great deal I doubt," Maria countered stonily, holding up her hammer even higher, the golden weapon again crackling with electricity. "And not just your word."

Greater annoyance spreading across her face, Amora considered Maria for a time. Then, her expression shifted to one of devious cunning, with a smile to match. "Hmm…I suppose I should not be surprised. An arrogant little child, playing with powers so far beyond her kin, lost and alone in the night…it's only natural that you would be so…mistrustful." Fingering her chin in a playfully cruel manner, the Enchantress considered the hammer-wielder for a time. "Perhaps…an act of good faith put your mind at ease."

Without another word, Amora made her way closer to the frozen Rebecca. Watching her with the intensity of a hawk, Maria demanded, "What are you doing?!"

"Making a demonstration of my…good faith," Amora responded, holding up her hands to the icy mass that still held Rebecca prisoner. Hands that soon lit up with pale green light, light that danced about the ice even as Maria looked on uncertainly.

As the hammer-wielder watched, she issued a tiny gasp as the frozen prison that held Rebecca quickly began to melt, ice turning to steam before her eyes. In the span of seconds, the ice had faded away, leaving behind Maria's guardian, who promptly collapsed to the ground. "Rebecca!" the new goddess cried out fearfully, falling to her knees next to her. Her NERV training not completely abandoning her, she gently placed her hand at the nape of the dark-skinned woman's neck, not relaxing until she found one. A weak one, but a pulse nonetheless. As a surge of relief flowed through her, the new goddess realized something else. "She's…she's alright…not even cold…"

"You doubted me?" Amora haughtily wondered. When Maria turned to look at the Enchantress, she was confronted with a smug, superior look. "What say you, mortal? Does this act of mercy assure you as to my intentions?"

Glancing from Amora to Rebecca and back again, Maria quickly considered the situation before saying, "We still need to get her to a hospital."

"Agreed, but…that can wait for a moment longer." When Maria responded to these poisonous words by again rising to her feet, hammer crackling in her ire, Amora smirked knowingly. "After all, we still have a great deal we need to discuss."

"The only thing we need to discuss is getting Rebecca to the hospital!" Maria brusquely countered. "And if you're not going to help me -!"

"I never said that I would not aid you in helping your precious guardian," Amora countered, her words giving Maria pause. "Only that there are other matters we need to discuss beforehand."

Studying the exotic beauty, Maria frowned before asking, "How'd you know that…?"

"What? That this woman is your legal guardian?" Amora broke in, her voice a more dangerously playful thing now. "I know many things… Maria Vincennes." As the hammer-wielder sucked in a tiny surprised breath, tiny worms of fear and concern gnawing at her insides at the mentioning of her name, the Enchantress smirked that much more. "Oh, yes…I know everything there is to know about you, as well as Storm Bringer."

"Storm Bringer?" Maria repeated blankly, only for her eyes to widen in realization. "Wait…are you…talking about the hammer?"

"Indeed. Storm Bringer is a masterwork of Eitri, king of the dwarves and ruler of Nidavellir. The finest blacksmith in all of the Nine Realms." When Maria responded to this by wrinkling her nose and raised a querulous eyebrow, Amora smirked superiorly. "I can see the doubt in your eyes, girl. But it would be in your best interests to learn to heed my words. For I know all of Storm Bringer's secrets, the power it holds. I know about your past, and the roads that your future can take." Her eyes narrowing sharply, Amora paused dramatically before adding, "These roads each hold their own dangers. And that you will need my aide in navigating them."

Scowling at the arrogance that dripped from Amora's words, Maria countered, "Look, all I really care about right now is getting Rebecca to a hospital and making sure she's okay! After that happens, you want to talk, then fine! But until I'm sure she's safe, everything else can wait! Got that?!"

"Perfectly. And if you wish to rush off like the foolish little girl you are, then by all means, do so," Amora purred in a poisonous manner. "However, before you do so…have you paused to consider the consequences of rushing blindly off in such a manner?" As Maria glowered, the Enchantress returned her gaze in a pitying fashion. "It seems obvious that you haven't, because if you had, then you would not even consider such an ill-thought course of action."

Maria was really hating the way Amora spoke. It was the air of someone who knew something of great value, but refused to give voice to it, if only because it amused her. "What consequences?!" she tersely demanded. "What are you talking about?!"

"Hmm…do I take it that you are now interested in listening to what I have to say?" As Amora tittered at her own wit, Maria felt her blood coming to a boil. She was mere moments away from sending her flying as she had the Executioner when the Enchantress continued. "I speak of the consequences of revealing to others what has transpired here this night." Taken aback by this statement, the new goddess stood up straighter, a perplexed expression marking her face as Amora explained herself. "Think about it, mortal. Storm Bringer carries with it tremendous power, so immense that you can't even begin to fathom its true extent, even though that same power now courses through your veins. And throughout the history of each of the Nine Realms, there have always been those who craved power, whatever form it took." Making her way closer to Maria, strutting like she was gliding across a catwalk, the Enchantress locked gazes with her. "Now, ask yourself this, mortal; you have an artifact of extraordinary power. So what would happen if your masters, these people of NERV, were to learn of this artifact, and its capabilities?"

The instant this was said, Maria was forced to frown in consideration. As much as she distrusted the Enchantress, what she said made a degree of sense. This hammer was certainly powerful, at least as powerful as Skurge's axe, probably even more so, given how badly he had wanted it. Furthermore, the transformed girl had heard plenty of rumors about some of the going-ons in the depths of NERV's Second Branch. Mostly chatter between off duty Section 2 personnel, remarks about unusual artifacts that had been discovered by the Katsuragi Expedition, the same group that had discovered Adam, the 1st Angel. Artifacts that were assumed to have some connection to the Angels themselves, and that had been gathered and sealed within the depths of the NERV base.

Maria had no idea where Storm Bringer had come from, or even if it had any connection to the Angels. But if NERV ever learned of her hammer, if they saw what it could do and leapt to the wrong conclusions…

"Are you saying that they might try and take it away from me?!" Maria demanded, tightening her grip on Storm Bringer.

"I'm _asking_ if you are willing to take the chance that they _wouldn't?"_ Amora countered, never once losing that look of patent superiority. "Even if you were that foolish – and judging from the look in your eyes, I'd say that you are not – there are forces at work here that you cannot comprehend. Forces that are trying to reshape the path of destiny, and to that end, guided Storm Bringer to this place, all so that you could claim it."

"Guided Storm Bringer – wait a second!" Glancing from Amora to the hammer and back again, Maria stepped closer to the blonde Enchantress and asked, "You're saying – you _know _how this hammer got here?!"

"Of course. Have I not already told you that I know everything there is to know about Storm Bringer…and yourself?" Amora wondered, seemingly amused by Maria's uncertainty. "So as you can see, there is a great many things that you need to learn in order to become truly worthy of the power that has been delivered into your hands. Things that only I can teach you. And just as Storm Bringer was guided to your hand, so I was sent to instruct you in understanding its power."

A scowl furrowing her features, Maria countered with, "Even assuming that I believe all this, we still have to get Rebecca to a hospital, and fast." Narrowing her eyes and glaring dangerously at Amora, she demanded, "So we don't have all night to stand around here, talking about destiny and so on. So what do you have in mind?"

"I have no intention of spending any more time out here in the wastelands of this place than I have to, girl. As for what I have in mind…why, it's really quite simple," Amora oozed in a superior fashion. "It's in our best interests that NERV does not learn of Storm Bringer's existence, or what has transpired this night. They could very well impede the wheels of destiny even as those who sent the hammer shift them in a more…suitable direction. And we simply cannot let that happen." As Maria rolled her eyes irritably, the Enchantress continued. "So, the first thing that needs to be done is to insure they never learn of these events. Or of Storm Bringer."

"You mean a cover-up," Maria returned, speaking in a way that made it clear that her words were not a question.

Chuckling at this, Amora replied, "Indeed. We need to erase every sign of these events. Once that has been done, all you will need do is contact NERV for medical assistance. They will then be most cooperative in rushing both you and your precious guardian to their medical complex, where she receive the care you are so ardent in demanding for her." Frowning at this, Maria then glanced back at Rebecca, who remained still on the ground. "You need not worry about her health, girl. She is and will remain quite well and safe. I have already seen to that." With that, Amora's tone and expression hardened. "Now, will you heed my words…or will you continue to act the part of the fool?"

Frowning, Maria quickly considered the matter. She didn't trust the situation she was in, and she certainly didn't trust Amora. There was simply too much going on that she didn't understand, and after what had happened with Skurge, she was unwilling to take this Enchantress's assurances at offers of assistance at face value. The woman was clearly guileful, and judging by her words and behaviors, used to and probably very skilled at manipulating others to her own ends. And furthermore, Maria simply didn't like this woman, not in the slightest. She didn't like the way she spoke, the arrogance and patronizing manner that dripped from her every word, or the Amora looked at her like she was something to be scraped off the bottom of her shoe.

But at the same time, Maria had already wasted a considerable amount of time dealing with Skurge, and though Rebecca looked to have suffered no permanent harm as a result of her being trapped in ice, the new goddess was no doctor, couldn't be certain of her condition. She couldn't waste any more time than she absolutely had to in getting her to the hospital. Furthermore, it was obvious that Amora knew a great deal about her, and the things she said made too much sense for Maria to discount them out of hand. Including her warnings against letting NERV learned of what had happened, as well as the existence of her hammer.

And while some of what Amora said was nonsensical, her talk about dwarves and destiny and Asgard, there was simply too much about what had happened that night that Maria didn't even begin to understand. Her own transformed body and the power she felt flowing through her was proof of that. Enough so that she was forced to suspend her own sense of disbelief, if only for the moment.

Heaving a deep breath and hoping she wasn't making a very large mistake, Maria made her decision. "Alright. First we cover everything up. Then we get Rebecca to the hospital. We do all that, take care of everything, and _then_ I'll listen to whatever you have to say. Does that work?"

"That will…suffice," Amora finally responded, still speaking with a lofty air. "First, I will need for you to take the hammer and strike the ground with the base of its handle."

Frowning at this odd directive, Maria asked, "Why?"

"Your current form is the result of Storm Bringer's power being channeled into you, girl," Amora explained with a hint of amusement. "By striking the hammer thusly, you will cause the power to return to whence it came."

Maria needed only a few moments to process this statement, at which her mouth fell open in shock. "You're saying –I'll change back?!"

"Precisely. You will return to your mortal form." As Maria continued to gape in astonished confusion, Amora responded with a pitying look. "Do you honestly believe that even the most foolish of NERV minions would fail to take heed of your current guise, girl? You wear the form and garment of a warrior of Asgard now." Her expression hardening, the Enchantress glanced down at the golden hammer. "Remember, the power you now wield is granted to you by Storm Bringer. To lose Storm Bringer would be to lose the strength it lends you."

As the possibility that NERV might try and take Storm Bringer away danced in Maria's mind, she frowned pensively before glancing over at Rebecca. At the woman that meant so much to her, and then to the hammer that had so transformed her, somehow giving her power beyond her imaginings. Both of which were precious to her for different reasons, and neither which she wanted to risk losing.

Caught between her disdain for Amora, her mistrust of the situation, and the urgency to get her guardian back, she glanced between the hammer and the Enchantress before scowling. "If you try and pull something on me…you won't live long enough to regret it!" Ignoring the look of boredom this inspired in the manipulative woman's face, the new goddess knelt down. Always keeping a wary eye on Amora, she heaved a deep breath, a part of her hoping that this was a lie. That she would not lose this new form, this power that she had long since dreamed of. That she would not be rendering herself vulnerable…before raising Storm Bringer overhead and striking its base upon the ground.

Once again, lightning seemed to strike the golden hammer, but unlike before, the electricity was quickly leaching away the immense strength and power that Storm Bringer had previously instilled in her. She felt like a balloon that had just been punctured, but instead of exploding, the power that she had so enjoyed was gushing out of her, until the lightning faded, leaving behind the frail little girl she had been not that long before.

As Maria's eyes recovered from the lightshow of her transformation, she found herself scowling at the tiny, weak hands that were now wrapped about Storm Bringer's handle, the pitifully slender arms that her once powerful limbs had been reduced to. Her own human body, pitifully weak and worthless compared to the mighty form she had just discarded.

_I just hope the change works as easy both ways,_ Maria thought, already aching for the power of her other form as she lifted Storm Bringer up off the ground. _This is worse than disconnecting from – huh?!_

As Maria paused, holding up Storm Bringer to her disbelieving eyes, Amora raised a playful eyebrow. "Is something wrong, girl?"

"I…this thing…it was so heavy, I -!" Maria started, only to shake her head in confusion. "I mean – it's _still _heavy, but -?!"

"Ah, I see. Storm Bringer weighed a great deal to you while in your empowered form. So you expected that it would weigh that much more to your mortal self," Amora gathered with a devious note to her words. "And that would make sense, wouldn't it?" When Maria looked up at the Enchantress, she was annoyed to see that same superior smile she had worn before appear on her lips. "However, the weight of Storm Bringer in your hands is not determined by its size or mass, girl, as things in Midgard often are. Rather, it's your own failings that make it so difficult to hold aloft."

Her annoyance with the cryptic woman mounting immensely, Maria shot back with, "What do you mean, my failings?! What are you -?!" Amora cut her off by gesturing with her left hand, a wave of green fog snaking forth from her palm to wrap itself about Storm Bringer. Amora gestured once again, and just like that, the fog tore the golden hammer free of Maria's grip. _"No!"_

"Your questions will have to keep for now, child," Amora told her as Storm Bringer dangled within the fog, only a short distance from her face. "After all, are you not the one who insisted upon getting your precious guardian to the hospital as quickly as possible?"

Infuriated at how easily Amora tossed her own words back in her face, Maria leapt to her feet. For a long moment, she was sorely tempted to rage and throw a tantrum, to leap up and try and snatch Storm Bringer back, to regain the power it held and give this arrogant witch exactly what she had coming. "What are you doing?!" she demanded, standing as tall and with as much dignity as she could while feeling as if she were moments away from exploding with frustration. "Give Storm Bringer back to me! You said that it was sent to me, that whoever made it _wanted_ me to have it!"

"Fear not, girl. It is not in my interests to steal from you, or to tamper with the designs of others." Not at all reassured by this, Maria could only stand there as Amora smiled pitying. "As I've already explained to you, it is imperative that Storm Bringer's presence a secret from your NERV masters."

"So what are you saying?" Maria wondered, anger mixing with a sudden shaft of concern. "That – you're gonna _hide it?!"_

Chuckling in a playful manner, Amora returned, "After a fashion. I shall hide the hammer…in plain sight of all." When Maria was again taken aback by the Enchantress's words, the devious woman. Continued. "Just as you now have access to two separate forms, I shall now give Storm Bringer another shape. A mortal form that shall disguise its true power, and hide it from all those around you." Pressing her lips together, Amora considered the girl before her for a time. "Now, then…what form shall that be…?" Uncertain as to what the green-clad witch meant by this, Maria could only stand, watch, and wait as the Enchantress looked her up and down, until her eyes seemed to focus on something. "Wait…that necklace…"

Making a quizzical sound in her throat, Maria unconsciously brought her hand to the collar-like necklace she wore, clasping the crucifix pendant. "You wear it a great deal, do you not?" Amora remarked, looking quite pleased with something. "In fact, I can't recall seeing you without it…a gift of some kind, I believe…"

Frowning at this, at this demonstration of how much this complete stranger knew about her and her life, Maria tightened her grip on the necklace. "It was a birthday present from Rebecca. So what?"

"Ah…a gift from your beloved guardian…a gift that you are never seen without…" Amora purred poisonously…just before gesturing with her other hand. Once more, a streamer of green smoke issued forth from her palm, moments before Maria felt her necklace being torn away. Now she was unable to restrain herself from jumping up and trying to snatch it back even as it lifted into the air. "The perfect disguise…!"

"What are you talking about?!" Maria demanded heatedly, clenching her fists and cursing herself for her stupidity in relinquishing Storm Bringer. Wishing for the power of her other form, she watched uncertainly as the prized objects hovered just out of reach, with only the possibility of Amora whisking them away forever keeping her from violence. "What are you going to do?!"

Giving Maria a smug look, Amora responded with, "Oh…look at you strain that simple mind of yours, trying to grasp what should be obvious!" As the irate blonde fumed helplessly, the green-clad sorceress narrowed her eyes, bringing Storm Bringer and the necklace closer together. "Stand back, and observe, girl…"

Maria did as she was asked. It was the only thing she could think of doing as the witch's eyes lit up with a pale green light. The same light that soon enveloped both the hammer and necklace, coursing about them, quickly growing in intensity. As Amora gestured at the two precious objects, Storm Bringer began to turn in mid-air, rotating until the head of the hammer was aimed squarely at the crucifix pendant. As Maria looked on helplessly, both hammer and necklace grew ever closer, so close that the green energy surrounding them merged as one. Energy that grew increasingly bright, so much so that it was a strain for the 5th Child to keep her eyes open, and only then out of the determination not to lose sight of either object, even for an instant.

Suddenly, Storm Bringer shown as bright as the sun itself, forcing Maria to shield her eyes with her forearm. An instant later, she issued a surprised gasp as the hammer shot into the crucifix, disappearing without a trace. "Ah, perfect!" Amora purred as the glow faded from the necklace. "The ideal hiding place; readily accessible at all times, and completely above suspicion."

With a simple gesture, the Enchantress sent the necklace flying back into Maria's hands. "Whoa…" she got out as she studied the necklace, seeing absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. "You…hid Storm Bringer…_inside _my necklace…?!"

"Indeed, child," Amora replied with a devious smile. "If any question remains, simple look upon the surface of your precious ornament."

Too flabbergasted by everything to do little more than heed Amora's words, Maria held up her necklace. Her eyes quickly widening at the sight of an odd emblem on the front of her crucifix pendant, glowing as the molten writing upon Storm Bringer had. It looked like three shapes like rounded diamonds from a playing card intertwined into a single triangular glyph. "That mark serves as a symbol of the power that now lies within, a hidden secret revealed only in a time of need, and visible only to those whom my enchantment allows to witness," the Enchantress explained in that insufferably smug manner of hers. "And from this day forward, when you have need of Storm Bringer's power, simply strike the necklace upon a surface, and it will be revealed." The corner of her lip curling up, Amora suggested, "You may do so this moment, if you wish, should you feel my word untrustworthy."

Maria was strongly, sorely tempted to do just that. She wanted to be in that other body again, to have all that power coursing through her. And she wanted to be in a better position to deal with this witch, to give vent to the ire she now felt towards her and blatantly manipulative nature. But at the same time, it was painfully obvious that Amora was baiting her, and it was bad enough that she had to deal with that arrogant witch as it was. She absolutely refused to let her know just how completely she was getting under her skin. And at the moment, she had something more important to deal with.

"Maybe I will..._after _I call NERV for some help!" Maria intoned, already reaching into her jacket pocket for her cell phone. "So, if this is going to be a cover-up...what's the cover _story?"_

"A simple one; you and your guardian were driving home from dinner when the storm broke. When you pulled over to wait the storm out, what looked like a meteorite struck nearby, and in the process, you and your guardian were both rendered unconscious. When you recovered, you called NERV to request medical assistance." When Maria raised a questioning eyebrow at this, Amora responded with, "A lie is ever the more effective when it is blended with a good measure of the truth."

Furrowing her brows at this, Maria countered, "Maybe, but there's a problem. Rebecca saw everything that happened up until she was frozen! That means she'll remember seeing -"

"Fear not, girl. Your guardian won't remember a thing." The hairs on the back of her neck sticking up at this remark and the way it was made, Maria gave the witch a wary glare, to which Amora gave a predatory smile. "I made a point of...fading some of her memories. Most specifically, everything that happened after Storm Bringer landed in this realm."

The instant she had processed this statement, Maria's face fell in horror. "You _what?!"_ she shrieked, horror turning to blazing fury as she abandoned her cell phone. Clasping her necklace tightly in her hand, she raised it high above her head, glaring daggers at the witch. "How _dare you -?!"_ Not even bothering to finish her threat, the 5th Child brought her necklace down upon the ground.

An instant later, lightning struck the necklace and coursed through Maria's veins. But she was far too furious to take any real pleasure in the way her frail mortal form faded before the divine power now remaking her body. All she cared about was that her necklace had similarly been transformed, that Storm Bringer was again at her command. Taking the golden hammer in both hands, she stood once more, raising her mighty weapon over her shoulder, taking deliberate aim at Amora's face and the cold look of arrogance she wore. _"How DARE you -!"_

Maria swung Storm Bringer with all her might, driven by uncontrolled shock and rage. But an instant before the golden hammer could obliterate Amora's infuriating smile, a cloud of green fog washed over her, seemingly erasing her before the strike could connect. As the heavy hammer found nothing but empty air, the transformed woman found herself overbalanced. Pulled off her center of gravity by the force of her own swing, she succumbed the inevitable, and wound up crashing face-first into the muddy ground.

_What in the -?!_ Maria thought furiously as she quickly propped herself up on her hands and knees. Finding globs of mud clinging to her face, she gave a quick shake of her head, trying to rid herself of them. _How'd she -?!_

"Now you have proof of my word, girl," came the infuriatingly insufferable voice of Amora. Swinging her furious gaze in her direction, Maria was made even angrier to see the expression she wore matched the voice she use, the Enchantress seeming to strike a pose as she continued. "For now, I'll take my leave of you. There's still much to be done in order to insure that what transpired here remains a secret. But once that is done and your guardian has been tended to...I will return so we can continue our little...conversation." Her expression becoming even more smugly superior, the Enchantress added, "For as you have just seen...you have much to learn."

Heaving breath after furious breath, Maria glared hatefully at the Enchantress, already fighting her way back up to her feet. But even as she rose, uttering bungled oaths regarding the witch, her parentage, and all the punishments the new goddess wanted to inflict upon her, Amora was once again wreathed in green fog. And when the fog promptly vanished, it took the green-clad sorceress with it. Leaving Maria capable of doing anything save for staring at the spot where she had once stood, and cursing herself for allowing Amora to make a fool of her.

Her frustration quickly mounting, Maria growled deep in her throat before heaving Storm Bringer up above her head, the golden weapon crackling with electricity as she prepared to unleash her frustration upon the muddy earth she had fallen upon. _"Damn her!"_

To Maria's astonishment, lightning leapt down from the sky the instant the hammer struck the ground, as if responding to her own rage. Jags of electric blue destruction leapt from Storm Bringer to rip through the muddy soil and the hardened earth just below, sending chunks of stone and dirt flying up into the air as the ground quaked beneath her. Crying out in surprise at the inexplicable earthquake, the new goddess very nearly fell back on her face as she struggled to ride out the seismic disturbance.

When the tremors quickly subsided, Maria gasped in a heavy breath of air, trying to recover from this latest of many shocks. As she did so, she found herself hurriedly glancing about, surveying the damage she had done, and found it to be limited to the immediate area. While she had created an even deeper crater in her fit of rage, and numerous gouges had been carved in the earth from the lightning strike, the damage was fairly localized, and to her considerable relief, Rebecca remained unconscious, and with any luck, unharmed. _Thank god for small favors!_ Maria thought, virtually swooning in relief. _But - how did I -?!_ Looking down at the hammer she still held, she got back on her knees, and lifted the heavy implement of destruction up to her face. _Just how much power does this thing have, anyway?! How -?!_

A thousand and more questions were bubbling away within Maria's mind, but as she again looked over at where Rebecca lay, she frowned, reminding herself that now was not the time for such things. _First thing's first,_ she told herself as she again raised Storm Bringer, angling it so as to strike the ground with the butt of the handle. _I've gotta change back, call NERV, and get help. And once I'm sure Rebecca's okay -!_ She struck the ground, doing her best to ride out the unpleasant sensation of all the wondrous power that was her transformed self draining away, leaving her again in her frail human form. _I'm going to do a little research on my own. Because if that goddamned bitch thinks I'm going to rely on _her_ for answers, she's got a few surprises coming at her!_

With this in mind, Maria rose to her feet, and after putting her necklace back on, she retrieved her cell phone. After hitting the speed dial, she started back towards where Rebecca lay, waiting patiently for someone to pick up. "This has been one fucked up day," she muttered somberly as she sat down next to her prone guardian. "Hasn't it?"

Pausing to again check her pulse, to make certain that Rebecca was alright, Maria then heard the distinct click of the phone being answered. "This is the bridge! Lieutenant Ward speaking!" came the voice of one the bridge techs that manned the MAGI. "Maria, _please _tell me that's you! Captain Sanchez is about to bust a blood vessel here!"

"It's me, sir!" Maria replied, once again playing the role of a meek, polite little girl even as she rolled her eyes sarcastically. Wondering what could have possibly happened at NERV to drive Sanchez into such a fit, she shelved that matter for future consideration, and focusing on playing her role to the best of her ability. To make certain that she came off as convincing. "Listen, please! I need help! We were in an accident, and - Rebecca, she - she's hurt, and - please, send an ambulance!"

"Hold on, Maria! Just try and stay calm!" Ward hurriedly replied. A few seconds passed during which the blonde could hear a muffled conversation taking place somewhere on the other end of the line. Deciding that the Lieutenant was likely reporting to Captain Sanchez what was being told, Maria frowned and looked over at Rebecca, waiting and wondering how long she would have to wait until someone got back to her.

As it happened, it wasn't long at all. And it wasn't the Lieutenant that was speaking when Maria again heard someone speaking to her. "Pilot Vincennes? This is Captain Sanchez speaking." Taking note of the all-business manner in which the Director of Operations was using, she sat back and listened as he said, "I need you to stay calm, and listen very carefully to me. Do you understand?"

_Of course I understand!_ Maria thought irritably, glad that she didn't have to maintain appearances over the phone and only had to carry out her role with her voice alone. What she said aloud was, "Y-yes, sir."

"Alright, very good," Captain Sanchez told her in a kind, gentle tone. "Listen, we're using your cell phone's GPS to track you position. Does your phone have a full charge?"

"Y-yes, sir!" Maria nodded, still playing out her part.

"Good girl, Prodigy," Captain Sanchez told her in a reassuring fashion. "Now, I need you to tell me exactly what's going on out there. We were picking up some strange energy readings in your general area. Can you tell me anything about them?" A beat passed before he asked, "Is there anything to indicate the presence of an Angel?"

"N-no, sir!" Maria quickly replied. "At least...I haven't seen anything that might be an Angel, sir!" Then she scowled, her free hand finding its way to her necklace as she thought back to the events of this evening. _No Angels...but a pair of devils...possibly..._

* * *

"Is everything in place, Amora?"

Frowning mildly as she stood in a dank, dark cave, not far away from where she had left Maria and her guardian, Amora couldn't help but have severely mixed feelings as she looked through a circle of green fog, a window of magic she had conjured. On the one hand, she couldn't help but be heartened by the sight of the man on the other side of that window, this spectacle of a warrior that was without peer. This man that had told her that there was finally a chance of her regaining her home, and had entreated her assistance in his plans.

But as heartening as seeing him was, Amora couldn't help but be even more allured by what she saw behind him; her home.

Asgard. The crowning glory of Yggdrasil, the shining light of the Nine Realms.

It had been a very, _very _long time since Amora had last set foot in her homeland, had witnessed the beauty of Bifrost, had tasted the Golden Apples of Idunn, had walked through the province of Nornheim, had seen and felt and experienced all the wonders that was Asgard.

So very, very long...since her missteps and arrogance had cost her everything.

But as enticing as these things were, they were also very painful for her. They served as a reminder of everything she had lost since she had been exiled to this pitiful realm, to eke out her days amongst the mortals, slowly suffocating in the midst of such lesser beings. And seeing _him..._reminded her of how exactly she had fallen from grace.

"Of course," Amora finally managed to get out, what amusement she had garnered from tormenting her charge all but completely faded now. "I have found Volla's promised child, and have tested her courage and skill."

The magnificent warrior smiled broadly at this. "By your expression, I trust that she passed this test?"

"Barely," Amore conceded with considerable hesitation. "She may have bested Skurge, but it is clear that she is not truly worthy of the power granted her. She can barely wield Storm Bringer, let alone use it with any amount of skill." Stepping closer to the window of magic, the Enchantress scowled and continued, "I care not what Volla says, Thor; this is a mistake. She is not worthy of your power."

At this declaration, the God of Thunder gave a wan smile. "Nor was I worthy in my younger years, Amora. But I have no doubt that she will prove herself, when the time comes."

Furrowing her brows at this, Amora replied with, "I wish I had your faith, Thor. But it is not only in her worthiness that this girl is lacking. She has no experience in the ways of battle, and her skills as a warrior are minimal at best." Lowering her gaze somewhat, she clenched her fist, magical energy rising up from it. "If I could but act myself -!"

"But you cannot, Amora. We both know that. Anymore than I can take action to make right what is wrong," Thor reminded her, genuine sorrow shadowing his features. "It is as I explained; this girl's fate can be shaped in a way so as to allow her to become a force for salvation. She is in a unique position to repair the damage done to the Nine Realms...if properly guided in doing so." Then the sorrow vanished before a fresh smile. "As for her warrior's skill, you need not concern yourself. For Volla and Karnilla have searched for one who is capable of teaching her what needs to be learned, and they assure me that they have found a truly suitable teacher for her."

Scowling deeply at the mentioning of her former teacher, Amora retorted, "And I assume I am to track down this...teacher, and recruit him or her to our cause?"

"Aye, that is soon to come," Thor confirmed with nod. "But before that, Amora, you must work to alter her current destiny." The God of Thunder leaned closer to the magical window, almost as if he was trying to shove his face through it and into the realm in which the Enchantress stood. "You must guide her path so that it leads to the battles that are to be fought, to the land known as Japan. For if you do not, if she remains bound to her current fate...she will die long before she can break the chains of destiny that bind us all."

* * *

Author's Notes: What exactly does Thor have in mind? And why is Maria so important to his plans? Please, read and review! And maybe check out my other stories as well?

Now, as you've all realized by now, Maria is getting the powers of Thor, but isn't becoming Thor herself, and her hammer isn't Mjolnir. As for why I'm doing this, it's for a couple of reasons. First of all, as several people have pointed out to me, Thor is one of the three big Avengers, right alongside Captain America and Iron Man. As such adapting him to the SOE universe was practically a given, right from the start.

The problem here was how to adapt Thor, since his origin is that...well, he's Thor. So I decided to start looking at other people who have wielded his powers, different possibilities, and so on. And I found a couple possibilities, including Thunderstrike and Thor Girl. So I decided that the best way to handle this was to create a situation in which Maria found a copy of Mjolnir. I decided that it would have to be a copy simply because of the worthiness factor inherent in wielding Mjolnir. I'll be discussing that more in future chapters.

The only problem I have now is what to call Maria in her heroic form. For while I did borrow heavily from Thor Girl's look...I am really not a fan of the name. I've been considering the possibility of Thordis, an identity taken on by Jane Foster when she found Mjolnir in a "What If...?" story, or Thunderstrike. If anybody has any ideas, however, I'd be more than happy to entertain them.

IncandescentOne, the thing wasn't Mjolnir, but it was an Asgardian hammer. And I hope I don't disappoint on his this goes.

Neferius, indeed, integrating such characters can be a tricky matter. So you can bet I took some time on planning out how best to situate Maria for this story in order to work well.

Twilight Nexus, excellent guess. And I'm glad to see someone was able to figure out that the woman and the man with axe were Amora the Enchantress and Skurge the Executioner.

Tibricel Tibby, all I can say is that I'm doing my best with my works and that I hope I don't disappoint. Thank you for supporting the SOE universe.

And now that that's out of the way, it's time for some omakes! Excelsior!

Omake 1

And as Maria crouched there, savoring in the sensation of sheer, unadulterated power that coursed through her veins, she realized that this was even better. Because it wasn't Unit 04's power that she was savoring. It was her own. It was her own muscles that flowed with unbridled might, her chest that swelled with raw power. It was her body, transformed, remade into everything she had ever dreamed of and wanted.

And it was wonderful.

As Maria savored the rapture of her new form, a gruff voice intruded upon her inner nirvana. "What…no!" Frowning at this disruption of her moment of bliss, she looked towards the speaker, and was brought back to the moment when she saw Skurge standing a short distance away, axe still in hand, and an expression of disbelief and outrage upon his face. "This…this cannot be! You – you are but a mortal! You cannot – this can't -!"

As Skurge visibly grew more flustered and confused, Maria couldn't help but grin in disdain. "I know not what thou speak of, villain, nor do I -!" Suddenly, her grin faded even as she realized that what was coming out of her mouth was not at all what she had intended to say. "What manner of witchery -?!"

Now looking confused himself, Skurge frowned and demanded, "Why do you speak that way, mortal?! Are you mocking me?!"

"I say thee nay!" Maria replied, growing more perturbed by the moment. "For while thou art a repugnant barbarian, such petty mockery doth not -!" Then she clamped her free hand over her mouth, gazing down at it as best as she could before bellowing, _"What madness be this?!"_

* * *

"It is the madness of a certain dwarf with a sad, pathetic sense of humor!" Amora groaned, smacking herself in the face as she watched this particular twist to the situation with ever increasing horror. "What was Eitri thinking, enchanting Storm Bringer to make her speak in such a manner?! That form of dialogue went out of fashion _ages_ ago!"

"Hear me, foul villain!" Maria continued, looking increasingly frustrated with her errant tongue. "If thou art culpable of this wretched enchantment, thou shall be well and truly smote for thou villainy!"

Placing her hands over her ears so as to drown out this offensive mockery of Asgardian speech, Amora swore, "You had best hope that my exile is _never_ lifted, Eitri! Because for this affront, I would gladly turn your tongue inside out!"

Omake 2

Letting go a wearied yawn, Shinji allowed himself to flop back in the chair of one of the break rooms of Orion's studio. Ignoring the majestically bizarre sight that was the Fourth Wall, he took a sip from his cup of tea, then paused to munch on a donut before glancing down at the script next to him.

"Orion sure has been busy lately," Shinji remarked, thinking of the new scripts he had to read recently, not having been able to get even halfway through this one. "More scripts, more projects...doesn't he ever sleep?"

Wondering if he had a private supply of Caf-Pow! or some other high-octane source of caffeine at his disposal, Shinji decided to count his blessings. "At least with this new story, I won't have any real part in it for at least a few chapters," he mused, heaving a deep breath as he tried to relax as best as he could. "That should give me some time to -"

A sudden knocking at the door interrupted the 3rd Child's chain of thought. "Excuse me? Shinji?" came the polite voice of Maria Vincennes. "Do you have a second?"

"Huh?" Shinji started, mildly confused by this. Though Maria could be extremely polite when the mood took her, he had no idea why she would hesitate to enter a public area such as the break room. "Uh…sure, Maria. What is it?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt you while you're on break, but…I need to ask you something," Maria continued, the door opening to reveal her standing just outside.

The instant Shinji spotted the newest Superwoman of Eva, he felt like he was about to jump out of his skin. "I – guh – _wha-?!"_ he sputtered unintelligibly as his eyes bulged at the sight of Maria in her transformed state, wearing the form of a well-muscled super model, with nothing more than a string bikini to cover her up. _"What are you -?!"_

"Please, be honest with me, Shinji," Maria asked pleadingly, looking at him with eyes of puppy dog eyes. "How do I look?"

"I – I - !" Shinji bleated out, pressing himself as far back in his seat as he could as Maria entered the break room, letting the door close behind her. "Maria, what are you _doing?!_"

"Listen, I know it's early, but you and I both know that Orion's going to be pairing us up in this story," Maria explained as she came to stand before him. Bending over so as to show off plenty of cleavage, the blonde superwoman asked, "So, I wanted to know…do you think I'm…pretty?"

As Shinji looked from Maria's bust to her face and back again, his brain reached critical, and he did what he was prone to do in situations such as this. He passed right out, streamers of blood erupting from his nose.

As Shinji sat in his seat, twitching sporadically, the door to the break room opened again. "Whew! What a mess!" Misato remarked as she studied both her ward and the woman responsible for his condition. "Looks like Shinji approves of your new look!"

Grinning deviously, Maria answered, "Two bloody gushers before he passes out! From what I understand, that's a perfect ten from him!"

"Not quite, but…pretty close," Misato acknowledged. When Maria frowned in confusion, the purple-haired woman gave her a playful wink. "I got _three_ gushers when I first transformed into She-Hulk for him." Then she smirked deviously and added, "Of course, the third gusher…it _wasn't _from his nose."

"I see," Maria grumbled, clearly not taking being outdone in this fashion well. Glancing over at the prone 3rd Child, she asked, "I wonder how he would have taken it if I hadn't bothered with the bikini…?"

Omake 3

_Eitri, you truly have done your work well,_ Skurge thought as he flew through the air, not knowing how long he had been flying or how far he had gone. _Storm Bringer is everything you claimed it would be. Truly, this girl will make a fine warrior._ Then the Executioner frowned somewhat. _Still, I wonder how much longer I must wait until I land?_

As it turned out, Skurge did not have long to wait. Though he still couldn't make sense of anything as he tumbled wildly about, he could definitely feel it when he finally hit solid ground. Or solid _something_, anyway. The sound of metal crunching and steam hissing punctuated his impact, followed almost immediately by a loud blaring and stone shattering. _Argh! I certainly felt that!_ the axe-wielder thought as he found himself laying in a crater of his own creation. _Still, I am alive, so -!_

_"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_ came a feminine shriek of pure, unadulterated horror. _"My car! Not my car!"_

"Huh?" Skurge got out, wondering what was going on. Grunting as he strove to rose up from the crater, he was stopped when a woman with purple hair suddenly appeared before him. "What in -?!"

_"YOU!"_ the woman snarled hatefully, her fists clenched. _"You destroyed my car! Do you have any idea how many payments I still have to make on this thing?!"_

Frowning in confusion, Skurge quickly looked about, only to realize that the woman was correct. The metal he had heard crunching was one of the conveyances mortals referred to as a car. "My…apologies maiden. I truly am sorry for –"

_"Sorry?! SORRY?! You think you're SORRY?!"_ the maiden shrilled with ever-increasing rage. _"You don't know what sorry is, asshole!"_

Skurge was about to protest this, as well as tell this woman that, while he did regret the incident, he refused to take any more verbal abuse from her. But before he could say a word, he noticed something strange.

The woman's eyes had shifted from a brown to a glowing green. And it wasn't long afterwards that more about her changed.

The woman began to grow, her slender frame exploding into bulging mountains of solid muscle. Her already impressive feminine assets expanded into veritable mountains of scintillating flesh. She grew even taller, her clothes exploding before her burgeoning form as her skin darkened, shifting to a sickly yellow, then a light green, then a deep emerald. Before long, the woman had transformed into towering mass of muscle greater that was taller than Skurge himself, as well as being visibly angrier.

"Uh -!" Skurge started, all he had time to say before the jade giantess reached down and wrapped her fingers about his neck. Effortlessly lifting him up out of the crater, she held him up before her, effortlessly snatching his axe away from him and tossing it away.

_"You think you're sorry now?!"_ the emerald giantess demanded in a voice that would make a frost giant turn heel and run. Balling up her free hand into a fist, she then declared. _"Just wait until I get through with you!"_

"Amora, help me!" Skurge pleaded, all he had time to say before the smiting began.


End file.
